Block-signal system



Feb. 9,1926. 1,572,137

F. GRUNIG BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 0. 1922 v2 Sheets-Sheet 1Fig.1.

/ 77/ Jnventon Fritz amhi Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

rArE r "OFFICE-i FRITZ GRTTHIG; OF THUN, SWITZERLAND.

BLOCK-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Application filed. February 10, 1922. Serial No. 535,661.

reads, where the trains are equipped with ,l l estinghouse brakes orlike continuous pneumatic brakes and where the line circuit is soarranged that certain portions thereof may be cutout near the s ationswith a view of causing thereby certain warning signals to be operated onthe locomotive for the engineer, when the engine is running past thestop signals and relates more particularly to means for automaticallyworking the continuous pneinnatic brakes simultaneously with thesounding ot' a general alarm signal in the of disability of theengineer.

The annexed drawings represent in Figure 1 in a diagram the arrangementof operative parts on the locomotive and in Fig, 2 a side elevation of aline section between advance signal and home signal i the stop positionof parts, showin an intermediate line post carrying a nil. circuit ln-'-=aler.

Fig. 3 e. perspective view oi? this manual circuit breaker in cut out].)O=l.tll1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are front elevations of the signal discs Hill 39 ofadvance and home signal, while 54- is a front elevation of anintermediate accessory adv' inc; disc.

Figs. 6 to 8 relate to a modified term of a pedal circuit breaker on thelocinnctivc. 6 being; a ertical section tl'irourgh iedal and sliding}bars attached thereto, 7 a horizontal section through the lower lar andFig. 8 a plan of this lower bar.

The diagram represents the position of parts on the locon'iotive when atrest but ready to start, while the bow collectors are still in contactwith the line 1. S id collectors are operated by means of pneuniaticallyoperated pistons of cylinders 33 the engineer openir' or closing); thevalves 4; by hand for establ hing or interrupting through conduit 5 thecommunications be tween said cylinders and a pressure rcscr voir notshown in the diagram.

The motor current for the :uitoinatieallv working devices on thelocomotive is ob tained partly from a branch of the line currenttransformed in a trans'formerl'i. This branch current is also employedfor encrpgiw ing' the electro-mugnct of a contact re -av '7.

Another transformed branch of the line current is employed to charge astore-re butterv 8 which is besides char z l cd with current furnish-edby the motor of the locomotive when this latter is running without loadon the descents of the road way.

A circuit derived from this storaoe lmtterv energizes all the alarmdevices intended for the engineer said devices comprisinoa shuntcd hell9 and lamps 1G and another circuit derived from said storecje batteryenergizes the general alarm signal device intended for the train tafiand comprising; a siren 11 on the outside of the locomotive and is alsoconnected to an electro-motor 12 for ope-nine; the pneumatic conduits soas to automatical- 1y operate the continuous brakes not show in thedrawing. A high tension indicator 13 of the line'currentis shunted inthe circuit of the contact relay. If there'is current on the locomotivethe a'rrmrture 15 vv'hich wise is kept separated from elcctr bv a springis is attracted by s T and opens the contact at 16 m: the (.ircuu ofsome optical and acousticsronuls 10 and 9 re -pectivelv intended for theengineer. In this Circuit the bell 9 is in cut out by a hand operate thel mp are in sci-i c and ivs remain in the rcuiti Th s ted i'ii'llll thestore-fie battery 8 comp es also a contact relay for operating a switch18 the Contact arm of which linked to the end of the rod of a p ston Onone side pistonQO is subjected to the cilectof a sprinc; 19 and theother side to the efi ect of the air pressure in conduit 21communicating with the pne nictic pressure reservoir not; shown. Saidconduit 21, being a branch of the ma n conduit 80, has an outlet intothe free air con trolled by a check valve 24. which is operated tromtheelectro-motor 12 by a worm gear 22 on a shaft 23 which by means of aworm gear 25 is adapted to operate a valve 26 for shunt and niav be Itch17 while a blow off 27 of an. air conduit 90 which" communicates with amain reservoir not shown and with the brake cylinders and in the case ofthe lVestinghouse brake communicates with ainain conduit not shown andwith the free air. As the presence of compressed air has beensupposed,the brakes will be operated, whenever the two valves beingopened have released the pressure in the feed conduits of the brakes.The worm wheels of the two valves are coupled by a connecting rod 59having adiandle for manually operating the same sin'uiltaneously: Thecircuit including the'clectro-motor i2 s energized from the storagebattery. This circuit also includes a siren 11 which is in series and aplatform circuit breaker .23 at the engineers stand which keeps tlI-QClIClll't of the siren open while the platform isle-aded by theengineers body weight, as will be explained hereinafter. at. includes amanual circuit breaker 29 integral with a toothed segment geared with arack-bolt adapted to lock up the controller switch32 ot' the locomotive,when in the position shown in the drawing.

The controller switch is a step switch providing the motor withtransformed line current. It is therefore the powercontroller of thelocomotive for regulating the speed, for the stopping and startmg of thesame.

It comprises a stationary disc provided with an index point 66 and alimb 63 mounted rotatablv on said disc and provided with a handle Thedivision of limb 63 marks the different steps of tension of thetransformed motor current and the index point 66 marks therefore theposition of the wheel for certain speed. A mark A atone division partbelow the zero point and between the latter and the market the maximumspeed 13 indicates, when brought *op pos'tte to the index point (36, theposition where there is safely no current in the motor. (loi'reswondingto this mark A a notch (i l: provided on the'outer periphery of limb G3which will be opposite the end of rack bolt 30, when the controller isin its position 01 cutout. In this position the controller becomesblocked by said rack bolt when switch 29 has been opened.

There is in the same circuit also a stopclockwork switch 33 having ahand 34 as contact arm rotatably mounted within a stationary dialprovided with a segmental contact strip '35 on which the rotating handcloses the circuit, the free part of the dial representing the space oftime during which, when the clock work has been started, the circuitwill be open and theoperating of the alarm signal and of the brakeswillbe prevented. r

The dial may be made'of glasson'which the copper strip of the segment isfixed.

Somewhat before said segment a short contact 36 is provided on the dialand is electrically connected to a warning bell 37 in shunt for thepurpose of advising the engineer bythc ringing of this bell that thecircuit ofthe siren is about to be closed at the segment 35.

In the normal position of parts that is, when the rain is moving, theplatform circuitbreaker is loaded and the hand of the clockwork switchrests on said contact strip '35. 'In this position the engineer iscompelled to occupy the plat-form in order to prevent the operating ofthe alarm signal and the brakes. Butvin order to leave him acertainfreedom oi movement for leaving the platform for a limited space oftime, determined by the above mentioned free space of the dial, theclockwork of the switch 33 is arranged like a chronograph or stop watchwhich is provided with a press button whereby the hand 34 may be startedso as to leave the contact strip and to travel over the said free spaceof the dial, and to stop again on the contact strip where a 'stop pinmay be provided which recedes,

when the button is pressed down. Thus whenever the engineer wants toleave his stand for a little while he presses said press button of theclockwork, but the time of his absence islimited by the length of saidfree space and may be fixed beforehand to a minute or more or less.

i kccording to Figures 2, 3, .4. and 5 the advance disc signal 38,acting as first advice or warning signal, and the semaphore homesignal39 of the line near the station are as usual connected by a wire gearand lever work to alocking frame d0 at the station or depot. Theoperating of the hand lever 41 of said locking frame causes the advancesignal disc 38 located at theforward end for a normally (lo-energizedsection of the line and the arm 39 of the home semaphore located at theliomeward end of said normally dcenergized section; of the iline to movesimultaneously. In case the line is open, that is, when the said sectionis to become energized, disc 38 will be swung into a horizontal positionand arm 39 into an obliquely upward turned position and in the caseoftdanger or stop, that is thenormal condition, when the said section oithe line is without current, disc 38 and .arm 39 will be thrown into ahorizontal position such as is shown in Fig. 2.

The just mentioned signals are located in the immediate vicinity of theline posts 42, 43 which are about 200 meters distant from each other,the cross beam resting on the post 42 carries a cut-out switch of theline circuit which together with the mechanismfor operatingthe signalsis worked from the station and interrupts the line circuit for step ordanger or closes it again for line open. To this aim a T-shaped lever 14is pivotally mounted on the side post 4.2 of a line wire support. Thetwo ends of the cross bar of this lever are connected to thecorresponding bar ends of a similar lever 45 on the home signal post,the lower end of the cross-bar being besides linked by a con necting rodto an arm of an angular lever 46 for operating the disc of the advancesignal 38, while the middle bar of lever 14 is connected by means of arod to an angular lever 47 adapted to operate a similar switch 48, 4-9as is represented in Fig. 3 for a post 51, and on the cross beam at post42 the line vis interrupted in a similar way as on cross beam at post 51which post is established at a distance of only about to meters frompost 42. The contact pieces of these two switches are carried, the oneon an insulator 48 fixed to the body of the cross beam and the other 49on an insulator at the end of the free arm of the angular lever 47. Saidcontact pieces are there connected to the two ends of the carrying wire50 which is in terrupted between'the two insulators 58, 58. The switchat post 51 is a hand operated switch and the connecting rod 62 foroperating the lever 417 is joined to a hand lever 53 enclosed in alocked case 52 fixed to the post 51. The case 52 however is madeaccessible only to the chief of the station and to the engineer of thelocomotive, both of which alone are supposed to possess a key to saidlocked case.

At both posts 12 and 51 the line wire 1 is interrupted as well as itscarrying wire 50. The two ends of wire 1 are wound around sheaves 55mount-ed between insulated rails 56 which are suspended to insulatorscarried by the line supporting cross beams of posts 42, 51 in order tohave some longitudinal play.

l ndcrneath said rails 56 and fixed to'the same are providedelectrically insulated shoes 57 adapted to guide the bow collectors.while they are sliding over the cut out interval between the two ends ofthe line wire. Thus the portion of the line between posts l2 and 51 maybe out out from the line or inserted again at will. hen the signals areplaced on stop or danger the line is interrupted at post 4.2. Atpost 51however it is interrupted permanently. be closed only in the case, whenthe opened switch at post 42. operated from the station has failed towork owing to freezing in and when current'has to be furnished to theline in order to allow the locomotive to enter the station. The incomingtrains will pass the permanently cut-out but very short portion of theline at post 51 without any disturbance whatever.

It must be mentioned here, that the sta tions as well, as also theintermediate poris again closed by switch 29.

The hand switch at post 51 will tions of the line are supposed to be fedwith current either directly or by side lines.

For convenience of the engineer the posts 42, 51 are equipped withorange-coloured discs 54 facing the direction of arriving trains. Thesediscs are thus indicating that the portions of the linethereafter arecutout intervals.

The working of the described safety devices is as follows. a

If alccomotive provided with the devices described has run past theadvance signal placed on stop and has arrived in the cut-out intervalmarked by an orange-coloured disc the main controller switch will atonce fly out and assume the position A as shown in Fig. 1 and thecircuit of the electromagnct of relay 7 will be open; the releasedarmature 15 will close the circuit for the signals intended for the engineer at contact 16, the bell 9 will be sounded and the lamps 10 willbe lighted and the advised engineer will operate the brakes or as infreight trains will give the signal for operating the same. In order toavoid the'sounding of the siren if he wants to leave his platform hewill open the manual switch 29 thus preventing application of current tothe motor of the locomotive. By this operation the controller switchwill be locked fast and will be freed again only when the circuit of thesiren troller switch depends in such a way on a relay which is soenergizedby'a transformed part of the line current that the arm of saidswitch is caused to fly out of contact, when line current is lacking.

Normally the position of parts is as indicated by Fig. 1 except thatswitch 29 is closed, switch 82 unlocked and contact hand 34 contactswith contact strip 35.

The engineer has his stand on the platform 28 and thereby keeps thecircuit; of the siren interrupted. If however he has become unfit forservice to such a degree that he has dropped off the platform the siren11 will be sounded by the contact at 85 and the electromotor 12 willbegin to operate the valves. The siren will then advise the train staffwho will work'the manual brakes and when valves 24:, 26 have opened, allpressure in conduit 21, 5 will be blown off, the bow collectors willdrop and through conduit 90 all automatic brakes will be actuated.Piston 20 will be moved by spring 19 and the circuit for the engineerssignals will be cut-out. The locomotive made powerless will very sooncome to a stop. (The manually operated cocks 4E and 60 have nothing todo with the safety devices of this invention.) If the locomotive has tobe started again valves 24, 26 have to be closed by means of hand wheel61. By refilling the air reservoir from the main reservoir the Theconpressure in conduits 21 and 5 will be restored, piston 20 willthereby assume again its former position so as to close the contact ofthe contact relay and the bow collectors will be raised again. i

As there is now current in the locomotive the contact relay 7 will beopenedagain and owingto the armature 15 being at tracted by theelectro-niagnet 7 the circuit of the optical and acoustic signals willbe opened.

In Figs. 6 to 8 an improved form is shown ofa pedal circuit breaker suchas represented in Fig. 1 under 28. By this new arrangement the'enginccris relieved of the trouble of pressing the pedal at say every minute buthe is constrained to keep his stanzl on a platform, said breaker beingworked only when by accident or for some other reason the platformbecomes'released by the engineers body weigl'it or a certain part of it.I

In the drawing there is a platform 1 supported by at leastthree helicalsprings 2 (two of which are shown) .and is stiffened by a border Thisplatform is provided on its bottom side with guide rods 4t fixed theretoand permitting a displacement of the platform in a vertical directiononly and parallel to itself. The springs 2 are placed over said rods andkept in place by means of cup like washers?) in such a manner thatsprings 2 may be easily. exchanged when the platform has been Withdrawnfrom its guides. The strength of the springs is such that the bodyweight of the engineer will bring the platform nearly at a level withthe surrounding floor 25. r Y t It has been supposed that the stand ofthe engineer is confined to rather a narrow space having a table boardin front of it said board carrying all the necessary apparatus and beingfixed to a wall of the locomotive.

The platform representing a square of about 40 to .30 centimeters sidelength reaches to the front wall 6 and is connected at its respectiveborder by means of rod 7 to across bar 9 which is loosely guided at itsends in vertical slots 8 provided in the front wall {3. A'contact strip10 of a circuit breaker is resiliently attached to the top side of crossbar 9 and is connected to an electrical conductor 11 of the circuit ofthe siren and motor 12. Another cross bar 13 guided in a similar way andprovided with a similarly attached contact strip 12 on its bottom sideis arranged over said bar9 and is coupled to the latter by a kind of atrailing connection this connection consisting of two rods 14 fastenedto the underside of cross bar 13 and traversing loosely the bar 9 saidrods being provided attheir free ends with broad heads and having such alength that, when the two bars are separated from each other, bar 9 willtake bar 13 along with itform.

r with a sufficient play between as to have the two contact strips 10and 12 safely separated from each other. lVhile bar 13 is loosely guidedin the slots 8 it is jammed between the ground faces of the slots 8 bymeans of leather-covered blocks 15, which are under the effect ofsprings 18 and are guided between the forked ends 17 of said her and bystuds 16, said springs being sleeved on said studs. It will thereforerequire some effort exerted by the bolts let taken along by bar 9 tomove bar 13. The strength of springs 18 is such that bar 13 will only bemoved when the platform is fully loaded by the body weight of theengineer. Contact strip 12 like strip 10 is connected to the circuit ofthe siren by a conductor ll and buffers 19 are arranged on the top sideof bar 9 so that no harm is done to the con tacts when the two bars willmeet.

The sensibility of the springs 2 supporting the platform is such thatunder'a load of 30 kilograms the contacts 10 and 12 will be separatedand that under a load of 150 kilograms the border 53 of the platformtouches the ground.

Instead of being balanced by springs the platform'might also be balancedby a lever with a 'slidable weight if the disposable space. will allowit.

The working of this circuit breaker is as follows: i

The position shown in Fig. Gisthat of rest. The unloaded platform is inits highest position and the contacts 10, 12 are closed. Notwithstandingthe circuit of the siren is open owing to the fact that the engineerbefore heleft the platform had put the controller switch32 on A and hadopened said circuit at the manual circuit breaker 29, 30 by locking thecontroller.

Vhenabout to start. the engineer takes his stand on the platform whichwill sink according to the body weight of the engineerand will cause bar9 to be separated from bar 13 the latter being held back by the blocks15. The contacts 10, 12 will also be separated and the circuit be openedat this point. The engineer then unlocks the con troller switch andcloses thereby again the circuit of the siren at contact 31 in Fig. 1which he had opened, when he left the plat He. then closes the checkvalves 2 1-,

26 and causes thereby the bow collectors to bear on the line wire,whereupon he is free to operate the controller switch in order to speedup the locomotive.

Standing on the platform however he remains now under control ofthesiren innsmuch as, ifhe leaves th'e platform or has been constrainedto do so on account of illness or accident and if he has relieved theplatform of the whole or a certain part of his body weight the platformwill rise to close the contacts 10, 12 and will cause the siren asgeneral alarm signal to be sounded.

All parts needing protection against malicious tampering of theengineer, as for instance the contacts 10, 12, the conductors 11, thelink bolts of the rods 7 and other parts may be hidden by encasing thesame or may be provided with aiiiXed leads or other controlling means.

Having now fully described my invention and the manner in which the samehas to be performed what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A control device for electric railway locomotives comprising anelectric circuit;

means in said circuit for automatically sounding a general alarm signal;a clockwork switch in said circuit adapted during its normal closedposition to control said means; and a platform circuit breaker which isadapted, while occupied by the engineer of the locomotive, to preventthe operation of said means and to actuate said means when unoccupied.

2. A control device for electric railway locomotives comprising anelectric circuit; means in saidcircuitfor sounding a general alarmsignal and for setting the brakes; a clockwork switch adapted in itsnormal. closed position to render said means operative; a platformcircuit breaker which is adapted, while occupied by the engineer of thelocomotive, to prevent the operation of said means and to actuate saidmeans when unoccupied; a car controller switch; and a manual circuitbreaker in said circuit adapted in its disrupted state to lock saidcontroller switch in its cut-out position.

3. A control device for electric railway locomotives comprising astorage battery; a line circuit; a pneumatic conduit system; pneumaticbow collectors controlled by said system; an electric circuit adapted tooperate alarm signals; a circuit disrupter controlled by fluid pressurein said system, said system adapted to cut out said signals and lowersaid bow collectors; and an electromagnetic relay dependent on said linecircuit and adapted to control said electric circuit.

' 4:. A control device for electric railway locomotives comprisingpneumatically operated bow collectors; a general alarm signal; means forsimultaneously controlling the pneumatic conduits of the bow collectorsand air brakes; an electric circuit adapt ed to control said means andgeneral alarm signal, a second circuit adaptedto operate optical andacoustic signals; a circuit disrupter controlled by fluid pressure. insaid conduits and adaptedto cut out said optical and acoustic signalswhen the bow collectors are lowered; an electromagnetic contact relaydependent on a line current and adapted to control said second circuit;and a platform circuit breaker included in said first circuit which isoperated by the weight of the engineer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture.

FRITZ GRUNIG.

